Abstract
There is much debate regarding the relationship between spatial demonstratives (‘this’ or ‘that’) and perceptual space. While some have argued for a close mapping between the use of demonstratives and the peripersonal/extrapersonal space distinction (Coventry et al., 2008, 2014; Diessel, 2014), others have argued that distance from a speaker does not affect demonstrative choice (e.g. Kemmerer, 1999; Peeters, Hagoort, & Özyürek, 2015). We investigated the mapping between demonstratives and perceptual space across sagittal and lateral planes. Manipulation of object location on the lateral plane, and the hand used to point at objects (left, right) afforded a critical test of the the mapping between demonstratives and the reachability of objects. Indeed, we found that objects positioned at the same locations were described using this when the hand pointing at the object could reach it. Furthermore, we found no overall effects of handedness or visual field on demonstratives choice. This provides strong support for a mapping between perceptual space and the use of demonstratives. Such a mapping may help explain the influence of other variables on demonstrative choice, including interactive factors.
Highlights
Spatial demonstratives, including the words this and that in English, constitute an important class of lexical items across all languages
The most common demonstrative system across languages is a binary system, as in English (Diessel, 1999, 2005). This has prompted many linguists to assume that the binary distinction is distance based, with one term, the proximal term, used for near distances and the other term for far distances. This distance distinction in the case of demonstratives has been mapped onto the peripersonal space and extrapersonal space distinction made by the vision and action systems (Coventry, Valdés, Castillo, & Guijarro-Fuentes, 2008; Kemmerer, 1999)
The distinction between Peripersonal space (PPS) and extrapersonal space is assumed to map onto different brain systems (Berti & Rizzolatti, 2002; Legrand, Brozzoli, Rossetti, & Farné, 2007; Làdavas, 2002) with recent evidence suggesting that processing of objects within reachable/manipulable space is associated with dorsal stream activation, and in particular the reach-related area of the superior parieto-occipital cortex (SPOC) and the intraparietal sulcus (IP) (Gallivan, McLean, & Culham, 2011; Makin, Holmes, & Zohary, 2007)
Summary
Spatial demonstratives, including the words this and that in English, constitute an important class of lexical items across all languages Are they present in all languages and are among the highest frequency words within a language (Deutscher, 2005; Diessel, 1999, 2006), but they are among the earliest words to be acquired (Clark, 1978, 2003). The most common demonstrative system across languages is a binary system, as in English (Diessel, 1999, 2005) This has prompted many linguists to assume that the binary distinction is distance based, with one term, the proximal term, used for near distances and the other (distal) term for far distances. Extending one’s reach using a tool extends PPS (Berti & Frassinetti, 2000; Farné, Bonifazi, & Làdavas, 2005; Longo & Lourenco, 2006; Maravita, Spence, & Driver, 2003) and PPS is contracted when the arm is weighted (Lourenco & Longo, 2009)
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